Many subjects in nursing homes may not have the physical capability to turn or reposition themselves in a bed and in such a case, depend upon staff members, typically a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or other caregiver, to move them. This scenario may also occur in a hospital or similar setting. In many instances, it is a requirement or medical necessity that the subject be turned in bed frequently, at a specified interval, such as for example, every two hours, to prevent the development of tissue or skin breakdown, which can severely compromise health, comfort, and quality of life. Failure to periodically move the subject can result in what is commonly known as pressure sores or “bedsores”.
What is needed is a system and method that can monitor the movement of a subject, patient or resident, (hereinafter referred to simply as “subject”) so that movement of the subject can be detected, tracked, recorded and reported. Accordingly, systems have become available which alert a caregiver when a subject has moved or left the bed. Some of these systems have sophisticated means of determining the position of the subject on the bed. As used herein, the terms “CNA” and “caregiver” are used interchangeably and refer to a person providing care to an individual subject or subjects. Such a system and method may be used to monitor when a subject leaves and returns to the bed and detect and monitor patterns of movement. In many cases, subjects are unable to stand or walk from their bed unaided; however, these subjects attempt to exit their bed in a weakened condition and are at risk of falling and associated injuries. The system has the inherent ability to provide a signal when a subject has exited their bed and will notify the responsible caregiver of this situation.
These systems do not have a means to allow nursing home administrators, hospital supervisors or healthcare managers (hereinafter referred to as “clients”) to confirm that a CNA or the like has performed his or her duty to move the monitored subject. The present invention addresses this need.